The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 465 Let's see who the hero is today (Part 6)
Spring returns to the earth, and the sun shines brightly. In this desolate northern region, it is truly a good time for marching and traveling.

The triumphant fake Li stopped his horse, gazing at the rising dust in the direction of the royal court. He listened to the report from the scouts sent by Yelü Lage, who said that the outer city of the royal court had been completely captured. He pretended to be calm while holding his sword. However, the generals of the Jin army, his confidants from Fengxiang, and some grassland leaders around him all showed great joy.

With the royal court in sight, at this moment, the imposter Li looked around and saw dozens of valiant generals on his left and right, who were at least outwardly respectful to him. Behind him, nearly four thousand strong soldiers were in a fierce and imposing manner. The weapons worn by the cavalry were gleaming in the slanting sunlight, which was quite magnificent.

If we add the three thousand Yishi cavalry who were not brought with them, and the five thousand Hu cavalry used to delay Zhao Siwen, then for a time, he, the fake Li, would have ten thousand cavalry at his disposal.

He, who once peered at others in the Sword Pavilion and saw their shadows, has now become like that himself. How could he not feel a surge of ambition?
Xiao Yan is one thing; he never used the surname Li from beginning to end, so I can't compare to him. But Li Xingyun, if it weren't for his good background, how could he compare to me?

I understand political maneuvering and, more importantly, I know the human heart. Amidst the chaos of the Ten Kingdoms and the fragmentation of the empire by regional warlords, who among them is without desires? If they had the title of prince, wouldn't they all be pawns in my game? I even know perfectly well who among the Bad People can be won over and who should be eliminated.

To be an emperor, one must be ruthless, cold-blooded, and willing to sacrifice. Those who deserve to be killed will not be spared, and those who need to be used will not be treated with mercy. I can bend and stretch, kneel before the commander-in-chief, and raise my head before Li Maozhen and Yelü Lige. This skill in maneuvering, this ruthlessness forged through hardship, this ability to manipulate people's hearts as pawns—you, Li Xingyun, could never learn this in a lifetime!

Once this hurdle is overcome, the counterfeit will have finally overcome the most agonizing period of endurance in the world, and will no longer have to watch as everyone flocks to Li Xingyun.

My heart is not beating falsely, my blood is not flowing falsely, and the strength in my hands is not fake.

Once a shadow has its own flesh and blood, and the ambition to devour the sun, it is no longer a shadow.

And this moment is right before our eyes.

Li Cunxu's main force is still hundreds of miles to the west. If he can take the lead in helping Yelü Lage break through the city and capture Shuliduo alive, this first merit in leading the change of the grassland will be his unshakable capital in front of the commander-in-chief and even in the future situation.

As for that brute Yelü Lage, I have a hundred ways to make him my shadow.

The fake Li, his ambitions unfulfilled, was just about to lead his army south when suddenly a rapid, chaotic sound of hooves came from the northeast, breaking through the grass.

The generals were stunned. The fake Li glared fiercely and saw several Yishi cavalrymen covered in blood almost tumbling off their horses. The leader of the cavalrymen fell to the ground and cried out in the northern Mongolian language, "My lord, Wolf Mouth Gorge... Wolf Mouth Gorge is lost!"

The hesitation on Fake Li's face froze instantly, and the officers around him were all horrified.

He spurred his horse and charged towards the commander, his voice barely audible as he squeezed it out: "Lost? Several thousand men guarding a gorge, with another five thousand providing support to the northeast, and it's lost? Who took it? Did Yuan Xingqin break through the defenses, or did Zhao Siwen's main force arrive?"

"It's...it's Yi Lijin, oh no, it's Li Maozhen."

The commander looked up in horror, his face covered in mud and blood. "The nobleman had just left with his troops yesterday evening when he sent several dozen cavalrymen into the camp under the pretext of replenishing military supplies. But Li Maozhen was hiding among those men. General Baturu was killed by him in a single encounter. Then, several hundred cavalrymen under Li Maozhen's command charged into the camp. General Quinn couldn't stop them... he couldn't stop them at all."

"Li Maozhen, how could he carry me?!" In that instant, the fake Li almost felt dizzy, and he subconsciously snapped the horsewhip in his hand, not even noticing the wooden splinter piercing his palm.

A surge of anger shot to the top of his head. Fake Li kicked the chieftain to the ground and drew his sword from his waist. "Useless! A few hundred men are chasing after thousands of pigs?! Are you all useless? What use are you to Yelü Lage?!"

Just as he was about to be beheaded by the fake Lee in a fit of rage, his officers and men were also furious and terrified. With no one to stop him, the sound of horses' hooves thundered from the north. The fake Lee was so startled that he forgot about what was in front of him and immediately prepared to fight the enemy. However, a scout from the rear reported that Quinn was leading three or four thousand defeated cavalry to join him.

“This fellow…”

When the fake Li heard Quinn's name, he became even more furious, but when he heard that Quinn had led three or four thousand defeated soldiers to join him, he did not retaliate. Instead, he led his officers and men to greet Quinn.

"This humble general is guilty." Quinn was also travel-worn, his armor stained with blood, but his expression remained relatively calm. He immediately dismounted in shame.

"Leaving aside all that, Li Maozhen is cunning; he even fooled me. This surprise attack, taken advantage of the situation, is not a fault of his own." The fake Li suppressed his anger and asked urgently, "What is the situation? Has Yuan Xingqin pursued us? Where is Li Maozhen? How dare you retreat so easily?"

Quinn sighed, looking at the expectant eyes of his officers and generals, and then delivered another piece of bad news: "After Li Maozhen broke through the camp, the rout was unstoppable. However, we outnumbered them three to one, so they didn't linger. In the blink of an eye, they joined forces with Yuan Xingqin's main force, bypassed Songshan, and headed north. They killed the main general who was besieging Zhao Siwen and several fierce generals, and directly broke through the five thousand Hu cavalry left there by Yelü Lage. This caused their morale to collapse and their entire army to fall into chaos. When I led the remnants to provide support, I only had time to hastily gather a thousand or so fleeing soldiers and retreat..."

The fake Li's face grew even more ashen, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "So, Li Maozhen, Yuan Xingqin, and Zhao Siwen are heading south at full speed?"

Quinn sighed and continued, "According to the reports from the men I sent out, Li Maozhen broke through the formation, but only took the remaining men and Yuan Xingqin's cavalry together and headed southwest. As for Zhao Siwen's banner, smoke and dust could already be seen when he retreated, not far from the gorge, so he must be heading towards the royal court at full speed."

This immediately threw the surrounding generals into chaos, regardless of whether it was a fake Li or not.

Knowing that Li Cunxu's main force was in the southwest, the fake Li knew even more what this move meant. He clenched his fists in anger, speechless for a moment. But amidst his clenched teeth, he suddenly said, "Li Maozhen has people who are familiar with the Jin army's movements..."

Quinn nodded, saying nothing more, but glanced at the generals and quickly said, "Li Maozhen has joined forces with Yuan Xingqin and is advancing southwest. His intentions are far-reaching and his ambitions are huge. It's definitely not as simple as rescuing Shuliduo. Zhao Siwen's main force is already returning to reinforce, and they will arrive by tomorrow at the latest. There is no chance of winning by attacking the royal court. On the contrary, there is a risk of being attacked from both inside and outside."

He paused, then said in a deep voice, "A hasty attack on the royal court to annihilate Shuliduo is no longer feasible. The most urgent task is to preserve our strength and then make further plans."

Fake Lee's chest heaved violently, but he forced himself to calm down quickly. Fortunately, Quinn's words also poured cold water on him in time, making him feel chilled to the bone.

The idea of ​​making the world remember him was no longer a thought for Li Maozhen. The only thing that Li Maozhen couldn't understand was that Li Maozhen... he really would do that! Didn't he know that by siding with Xiao Yan, the Qi Kingdom had already changed hands? And given Li Maozhen's arrogance, why would Xiao Yan use him in the future?
The immense sense of defeat and rage nearly made the fake Li vomit blood, but even so, he had to face reality. His carefully crafted plan to establish himself on the grasslands and even replace Li Xingyun with the commander-in-chief had been shattered by Li Maozhen's sudden attack and was now impossible.

"Li Maozhen, I will never let you get away with this!"

The imposter Li Wuneng roared, then took a deep breath, sharply rebuking the terrified officers around him, forcibly suppressing his surging anger and killing intent. He glanced one last time at the north, then abruptly turned his horse around.

"The entire army must advance south at full speed! Quickly! The main force of Yelü Lage and the elite troops under Li Taiwei of Jin must be held!"

------

The royal court is located thirty li southwest of the capital.

The lower reaches of the Tuhe River, which was once worshipped by Xiao Yan and where he presided over the trade, flowed slowly in the warmth of early spring, reflecting the withered yellow grass on both banks.

Li Siyuan, whom the fake Li Xinxin was thinking about, was currently riding at the forefront of the army. Because he had to impersonate Li Cunren, he had long since shaved off his carefully cultivated mustache, so Li Siyuan had to grow a short beard. He would touch it from time to time when he was thinking, which was a kind of consolation.

The spy sent by Shi Jingtang to make contact with Wang Ting had already made contact with him, saying that his beloved son-in-law was waiting for him in the inner city that Wang Ting had hastily built. He was just waiting for his father-in-law to arrive, and then he would find a way to open the city gates and welcome his father-in-law in.

Thinking of this, Li Siyuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. His beloved son-in-law was truly one of the few sources of comfort he had received over the past year. Reflecting on this, he realized that he had been somewhat harsh on him in previous years. Ah, he had hoped his son-in-law would become successful; it was all out of a father's good intentions.

Therefore, when they reached the last few dozen miles, Li Siyuan ordered the entire army to advance rapidly. After all, the royal court was only thirty miles to the northeast. As long as they could break through this last distance, capture Xia Liduo, and help Yelü Lage establish a firm foothold, Li Siyuan could truly establish a base in the northern desert, get rid of Xiao Yan's sword hanging over his head, and even... in the future, he might not be able to compete with Li Cunxu and Xiao Yan.

The information my son-in-law provided was very accurate; the route was safe, and the timing was perfect.

“Brother,” Li Cunli, who was riding side by side, suddenly spoke, his voice low and his brows slightly furrowed, “Don’t blame me for being nosy, but after much thought, I still feel that the last two pigeon messages from Jingtang are a bit too close together, and the route descriptions are… too smooth. Also, the third group of messengers who were supposed to report back this morning have yet to appear.”

"Sixth Brother, you've probably been under too much pressure lately and are worrying too much," Li Siyuan chuckled, stroking his short beard. "My beloved son-in-law is always prudent in his actions. He won't take any risks without being absolutely certain. Perhaps the messenger was delayed on the way, or perhaps the royal court is keeping a close watch and couldn't find an opportunity to send the messenger. It's alright, the overall situation is settled." Li Cunli opened his mouth, but seeing Li Siyuan's profile, which showed increasing peace and confidence despite the long journey, he ultimately said nothing more. He simply slowed his horse down, summoned Baye, and ordered him to lead a group of scouts to reconnoiter the route once more.

Ba Ye accepted the order, mustered his four apprentices and capable disciples, and a dozen or so riders galloped forward like arrows released from a bow. As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, the army rested briefly on the spot. The atmosphere was calm under the warm sun, with only the occasional snort of the warhorses and the soft clatter of their armor plates remaining.

A quarter of an hour later, Ba Ye and the others had not yet returned. Li Cunli's face was stern, and he was about to go and persuade Li Siyuan again.

Suddenly, a blinding flame trailing a thick, three-colored smoke shot up from behind a low hill in the distance without warning, shattering the tranquility of the riverbank.

"There's an ambush—"

At the same time, Ba and his disciples frantically turned back, but their shouts of warning were instantly drowned out by the even more violent tremors.

But then, from the hills several miles to the flanks and the wide riverbed exposed by the early spring drought, a deep, thunderous horn sound rolled across the land. Immediately following was the continuous, rapidly approaching sound of horses' hooves, like rolling muffled thunder.

"Prepare for the enemy!" Li Sizhao, who was holding the rear guard, had just taken off his leather water bag from his saddle to drink water a moment ago, but in an instant, he slammed the half-full bag of water to the ground.

But the earth had already begun to tremble.

Smoke and dust rose from three sides, and a dark torrent of cavalry suddenly emerged, like a raging torrent that had burst its banks, rushing towards the Jin army. But a quick glance revealed only two large banners bearing the character "Sun" and the banner of "Yelü" from the northern desert fluttering in the smoke and dust.

The two units coordinated perfectly, especially the cavalry group that quickly spread out from the rear. As they charged forward with the thunderous roar of hooves, they were still a hundred paces away from the Jin army when the sound of countless bowstrings snapping suddenly rose up in alarm.

In an instant, a dark cloud of arrows, like a sudden surge of storm clouds, rained down on the Jin army from three directions with piercing whistles. Caught off guard and mostly lightly armored, the Jin soldiers screamed in agony, many falling from their horses, their painful cries instantly drowning out the horns and the sound of hooves.

The Jin army's formation was as if it had been struck by an invisible giant fist, with its flanks and rear almost twisted and deformed.

"Hold the line! Form ranks! Engage the enemy!"

Li Sizhao's burly body suddenly straightened on horseback, his long spear flashing like lightning, accurately deflecting several arrows aimed at him. Then, with a thunderous roar, he issued a series of commands.

The Jin army, being the seasoned elite of the Shatuo tribes, quickly recovered from the initial chaos. The outer cavalry rapidly contracted, shields were raised high to form a wall, and spears stretched out like a forest. A crude but quickly formed defensive circle barely took shape before the enemy's second wave of arrows, and then they attempted to maneuver and charge into battle.

However, the Jin army was ultimately the one that had been ambushed.

Yelü Helu led two thousand royal light cavalry to surge out from behind the hills, fiercely ramming the flank of the Jin army, whose circular formation was not yet fully stable, from the south. This created greater chaos and disruption, with the intention of cutting the Jin army's marching column in half and preventing it from moving smoothly.

Sun He, the commander of the Liang army in the rear, saw this clearly and immediately waved his command flag.

After completing the first round of charging and archery, his 8,000 iron cavalry did not slow down at all. Instead, they spread out to both flanks during the charge, like the wings of a giant bird suddenly extending, and locked onto the rear guard personally commanded by Li Sizhao.

The dense barrage of various weapons, fueled by the ferocity of the charge, relentlessly slashed at the hastily assembled rear guard of the Jin army. Sun He's intention was even clearer: to coordinate with the front-line light cavalry's slashing maneuver to pin the entire Jin army to the spot, and then crush them completely like a millstone.

"Break through them and charge out for me!" Seeing that the formation had been disrupted by the royal cavalry and that they were in danger of being surrounded and annihilated by the Liang army's cavalry, Li Sizhao was filled with rage and personally charged out with his spear.

At the same time, a thunderous shout rang out from the ranks behind him.

Li Cunxiao charged out of the formation, swinging his Yuwang Spear with incredible speed, creating a terrifying gust of wind as he cleared a path. Ignoring all formation constraints, he recklessly charged into the densest left flank of Yelü Helu's light cavalry. Wherever the Yuwang Spear struck, men and horses were shattered, tearing a bloody gap in the seemingly impenetrable defenses of the royal army.

Amidst the battle, the figure of the Sanzenin clan flitted erratically at the edge of the chaotic battle formation. With each flash of the cold light of his short blade, a Liang army or royal court squad leader or flag bearer would fall silently.

Both shocked and enraged, Ba Ye returned to reinforce the battle. Under Li Cunli's stern command, he wielded two giant axes and led his four apprentices forward on horseback, directly reaping the heads of more than a dozen enemy soldiers. The vanguard cavalry of the Jin army immediately surged forward, attempting to tear open this gap.

The resilience of the Jin army far exceeded the expectations of Sun He and Yelü Helu. All three sides possessed formidable cavalry forces, and tens of thousands of cavalrymen found themselves locked in a fierce battle on the banks of the Tu River.

This elite Shatuo force, which followed Li Keyong in his campaigns and was armed to the teeth by Li Siyuan, reacted swiftly even when suddenly attacked.

Li Sizhao orchestrated the battle from the center, while Li Cunxiao led his personal guard heavy cavalry in a counter-charge on the Liang army's left flank, attempting to disrupt their offensive rhythm. The battle quickly became a stalemate, with every inch of land seemingly being fought over repeatedly and soaked in blood.

In the midst of the chaos, Li Cunli spurred his horse to Li Siyuan, who was hacking down a Wangting chieftain with a fan, and said urgently, "Brother, it must be Shi Jingtang who has betrayed us. If it weren't for his instigation and leaking of information, how could our troops have fallen into such a dangerous situation? He must have sold us out to Xiao Yan and Shuliduo..."

Li Siyuan's action of retracting his folding fan suddenly froze in mid-air. He turned around and his gaze fell on Li Cunli's face, which was flushed with anxiety. He wanted to subconsciously rebuke him with a stern face, but the deafening sounds of killing all around him and various details instantly entered his mind. A bone-chilling coldness instantly rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, freezing his limbs and bones.

Li Siyuan was incredibly clever; he knew perfectly well that he had been tricked by this damned son-in-law, who had become his stepping stone to advancement. Once this thought arose, he could no longer restrain himself. In the end, his entire body blazed with cold light, and his uncontrollable qi swept across several people. His folding fan flew out freely, whirling away several heads.

"Shi Jingtang, you treacherous dog, I will slaughter your entire clan!"

Li Siyuan's eyes were bloodshot. He suddenly looked up, the sword at his waist trembling violently with extreme rage, buzzing loudly. He yanked the reins hard, and his warhorse reared up, neighing loudly, as if he wanted to lead his personal guards to charge back against the tide of soldiers, disregarding everything.

"Brother!!" Li Cunli's face grew even more anxious upon seeing this. He gripped Li Siyuan's reins tightly, his knuckles turning white, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Turning back now would be like walking into a trap, playing right into Shi Jingtang's hands. He probably couldn't be happier if you died on the battlefield. Think of us brothers who followed you, think of the foundation of the Jin Kingdom, don't act rashly! As long as you're alive, there will be a time to avenge your defeat!"

Li Siyuan's momentum was abruptly halted. His bloodshot eyes swept across his surroundings: the bloodied figures of Li Sizhao and Li Cunxiao fighting amidst the enemy ranks in the distance, the still-unbroken elite Shatuo troops, and in Li Cunli's eyes, an almost pleading pleas...

Overwhelming hatred and humiliation surged within him, threatening to tear him apart. However, his quick thinking and survival instincts ultimately prevailed over that momentary impulse.

Li Siyuan was breathing heavily, his chest heaving. Finally, he abruptly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with a forced calm as he suppressed his anger. He immediately said to his trusted disciples, "Go, find everyone connected to Shi Jingtang. Don't let them die or escape!"

The disciples shuddered and quickly disappeared into the chaotic crowd.

"Sixth Brother," Li Siyuan's voice was hoarse as he looked back at Li Cunli, "which way do you suggest we go?"

Li Cunli felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and immediately pointed to the gap that Ba Ye had created with his vanguard to the north: "Head north, tear through Yelü Helu's blockade with all your might, break through to the north, and join forces with Yelü Lage. After the combined forces are assembled, immediately abandon the royal court, turn west, and join forces with the main force of the Prince of Jin. At this moment, no matter what, only the Prince of Jin's army can stop Xiao Yan's annihilation. Only by preserving these battle-hardened elites can we have the foundation to settle accounts with Shi Jingtang and Xiao Yan in the future."

Without further hesitation, Li Siyuan immediately ordered Li Sizhao and Li Cunxiao to cover the rear, while Ba'er and Ba'er harassed the enemy. He himself and Li Cunli would personally lead the way, and the entire army would break through to the north.

Once the order was given, Li Siyuan no longer cared how many men could survive this battle. He spurred his horse and charged like an arrow towards the junction of the Liang and Wangting armies to the north, which had not yet been completely surrounded.

Li Cunli sighed deeply, then led the remaining central army to follow closely behind, heading north.

(End of this chapter)